Elena Skoblova
supervisor and master trainer of the World class gym, master of sports of Russia in jiu-jitsu
How many times a week should you train? What points to consider during preparation?
It seems like summer was just yesterday. However, the New Year is already upon us, and after it a series of holidays. Before you know it, swimsuit season is just a couple of weeks away. We do not recommend resorting to the classic option of preparing for a vacation in one week, but rather take care of this issue in advance. The cold weather is already setting in, the time for sitting in the park under the sun is over, and this means that it’s time to devote the winter to training.
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I. Find the right room
Even the most ardent fan of barbells and exercise machines will not work for hours in a gym where there is nothing to breathe - such a workout simply will not be complete. Conclusion - look for a room with air conditioning. If there are no such facilities in the area, equip such a room yourself - drag several powerful fans into the basement and start exercising. Even old-school guys from hot Texas (or Chelyabinsk - as you prefer) gyms successfully train under the streams of refreshing air, so the remedy is effective and proven.
Are you used to your basement “rocking chair”? In the summer, it’s better to move to a fitness room with air conditioning; the bonus will be beautiful girls who often train there
Where to look for motivation for training?
Remember that returning to activities after a long break is only for you - for good health and psychological comfort, both on the beach and beyond. Make sports your habit and find activities you enjoy. Don't torture yourself with group training if you don't like it. Try, for example, a swimming pool or boxing class. You need to enjoy training, and not drag yourself through it like hard labor after work. If you love what you do, the results will not take long to arrive.
Your summer will be wonderful and without any difficulties, you just have to think about it now.
II. Work for strength
Heat causes oxygen deficiency, and hypoxia against the background of high humidity does not allow normal endurance or hypertrophy work. In addition to continuously working to cool the body, it is extremely difficult for the heart and blood vessels to ensure the performance of muscle tissue under conditions of increased stress.
No matter what many people say, summer is the best time to train for strength: however, do not overdo it with weights (60 - 70% of the maximum weight for 3-4 repetitions will be just right)
Therefore, it is not advisable to perform long sets of 20 and 12 repetitions in the heat. It's best to focus on short sets of 2-4 sets and not go too heavy on the weights. This is especially true for heavy exercises like squats, deadlifts, or standing and bench presses. If you think that the muscle load with this option is not enough, increase the number of approaches, and instead of 3 sets of 8 repetitions of the bench press, do 8 sets of 3 repetitions with full rest between exercises.
Summer training program
It is best to devote separate days to cardio training and strength training, because combining the two types of exercise reduces the effect of both.
Monday (strength exercises)
- As a warm-up, run in place with high knees. More advanced athletes can pick up dumbbells during the exercise. Warm up for 5 minutes.
- Pull-ups on the bar (wide grip, hands on the horizontal bar positioned wider than shoulder-width apart). 3 sets of 12 pull-ups. For advanced athletes - with weights.
- Pushups. 3 sets of 12 push-ups.
- Squats with weights. 3 sets of 15–20 repetitions.
- Single leg calf raise. 4 sets (2 for each leg) 50 reps.
- Leg lift. From a lying position with your arms along your body, lift your legs up. Slightly bending your knees, lift your hips and pelvis up as you inhale, pointing your knees toward your head, and lower as you exhale. 2 sets of 15–20 repetitions.
Tuesday (cardio)
Any cardio activity, such as running, swimming or cycling. It is best to train in the evening or morning, when the air has not yet warmed up or the heat begins to subside. Training duration is from 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Wednesday (strength training)
- Warm-up: running in place.
- Pull-ups with a reverse grip - hands on the horizontal bar are positioned shoulder-width apart, palms facing you. 3 sets of 10 pull-ups.
- Pushups. 3 sets of 12 push-ups.
- Push-ups on chairs. Place two chairs with their backs facing each other, shoulder width apart. Holding your backrest with your hands, lower yourself as low as possible, fix the position and rise back up. 3 sets of 15 reps. To complicate the task, you can use a third chair instead of a footrest.
- Lunges with weights. 3 sets of 12–15 reps.
- Single leg calf raise. 4 sets (2 for each leg) 50 reps.
- Leg lift. 2 sets of 15–20 repetitions.
Thursday (cardio)
Outdoor cardio training (running, Nordic walking, yoga) for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Friday (strength training)
- As a warm-up, run in place with high knees for 5 minutes.
- Pull-ups on the bar (wide grip). 3 sets of 12 pull-ups. For advanced athletes - with weights.
- Pushups. 3 sets of 12 push-ups.
- Single leg squats. 4 sets (2 for each leg) of 5 squats.
- Single leg calf raise. 4 sets (2 for each leg) 50 reps.
- Leg lift. 2 sets of 15–20 repetitions.
After consulting with a trainer, you can include more serious strength exercises in your summer training program. But in this case (as in any other), you need to make sure that there is good air conditioning in the gym where you plan to train.
Saturday and Sunday (rest)
It is extremely important to give the body a few days to rest and recuperate.
IV. Drink more fluid
Especially after the training. During the exercise itself, you shouldn’t be particularly heavy on drinking: that is, you need to drink, of course, but forcefully pouring water into yourself (especially cold water) is not recommended. This will lead to increased sweating (which will not create additional comfort for you or those around you) and can cause muscle cramps associated with the leaching of salts from the body. In addition, cold water immediately after approach creates additional stress on the heart - you should wait at least a couple of minutes.
Drink, drink and drink again! Drink plain water whenever possible, your body will thank you for it
What stages does preparation include?
The stages will depend on the training goals and level of preparedness in the first place, as well as the nuances of each specific organism. A proper diet and drinking balance should ideally be your allies on an ongoing basis. If you don’t know what to do, you can contact a dietitian/nutritionist for advice. Experts will help you understand nutrition, give recommendations on your daily routine and healthy habits. You can include massage in this list - a course every six months for the general condition of the body will be useful and pleasant.
Photo: istockphoto.com
The most popular workouts in active rest mode
Active rest is beneficial because it helps you recover faster after hard training. During exercise, blood circulation increases, which supplies the muscles with amino acids and oxygen. Thanks to this, accelerated muscle recovery occurs.
Below we look at the most popular workouts.
Table tennis
At first glance, this sport seems quite simple, however, it is not so. Table tennis helps maintain physical fitness, develop agility, reaction and coordination of movements. This sport is useful for those who have vision problems and for those who are used to sitting at the computer for a long time.
Badminton
Badminton improves metabolism, heart function, lung function and, as an additional benefit, improves vision. The thing is that players need to carefully monitor the shuttlecock. Badminton is an Olympic sport.
Rollers
Roller skating helps develop coordination and balance throughout the body. When skating, all the muscles of the body are involved, especially the muscles of the thighs and buttocks, the back, hip, and calf muscles. When roller skating, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are trained.
Cycling
Cycling has many benefits: improving digestion, strengthening the cardiovascular system and immunity. Regular cycling removes stress hormones from the body, which has a positive effect on the quality of sleep. Cycling has a beneficial effect on your overall emotional state and increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, resulting in increased thought processes.
Rock climbing
This sport can be scary for safety reasons, but there is no reason to be afraid. When climbing, all muscle groups are involved, coordination and plasticity of movements improves. This sport helps to overcome fear, uncertainty, develops determination, strong-willed qualities and independence.
Run
According to studies, running reduces the risk of heart disease by 50%, and increasing cardio by 5% improves brain activity by 15%. Running also normalizes sleep and improves your mood. A huge advantage is the fact that you can run in any weather.
Football
This popular sport is such not only because of its excitement and intensity. Playing football develops strength, endurance, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and provides muscle definition in the legs. Football is a team game, so training improves social skills: sociability, self-determination and self-esteem
Stretching
Stretching is a system of exercises for developing flexibility. It includes special flexibility exercises (stretching) and muscle balance exercises.
The point of stretching is not so much to become more flexible overall, but to make flexibility even throughout the body.
Stretching classes can be done daily for 30-60 minutes.
When exercising to develop flexibility, it is extremely important to perform the selected exercises correctly, otherwise injuries will inevitably occur.
I recommend this article about stretching.
Pump up
The basis for gaining muscle mass is anaerobic exercise, accompanied by a heart rate exceeding the aerobic corridor. When performing anaerobic exercise, the blood does not have time to deliver oxygen to the muscles. The lack of atmospheric oxygen is compensated by its production as a result of the breakdown of glycogen in the muscles.
Gradually, the body stores more glycogen, increasing strength endurance. And muscle growth is the body’s response to force loads.
Anaerobic exercise makes men massive and powerful, and gives girls curves in the right places and removes excess.
The easiest way to increase muscle mass is powerlifting. This is a set of basic exercises: squats with a barbell, bench or incline press, deadlift. Basic exercises involve all muscles.
Powerlifting also helps you lose fat. Strength training not only burns a lot of calories, but also contributes to higher energy expenditure outside the gym, since large muscles require a lot of energy.
Bodybuilding in Soviet times was known as “bodybuilding”. Unlike powerlifting, where the main thing is to increase strength, bodybuilding is designed to create a harmonious, muscular body. In addition to the basic ones, bodybuilders perform isolation exercises on individual muscle groups for a harmonious appearance of the muscles.
Go to bed on time!
For good health, mood and restoration of the body, you need to sleep a sufficient number of hours. It is advisable to go to bed 7-8 hours before waking up. If you sleep less than 6-7 hours, your appetite will only increase, and lethargy and fatigue throughout the day will not allow you to do your work efficiently.
All of the above is very important for well-being and female beauty.
Dear girls, start today to prepare for summer and you will be the most beautiful!
Do you need a warm-up?
How to train in the heat? With a warm-up or can you do without it? In order for the training to be as effective as possible, the body must be prepared for the lesson and the muscles warmed up. This is what the warm-up is for. And they do it regardless of the season of the year.
During hot weather, the body heats up. But the body tries to maintain internal temperature in a natural range. Therefore, the summer heat does not warm up the muscles, and therefore, without a regular warm-up, they are not ready for a full workout.
Summer is just around the corner - when to start preparing for summer
They say the sleigh should be prepared in the summer, and the cart in the winter. And a woman needs to think about a beautiful body already in the winter cold. Did not have time? There's still time!
Time passes quickly - this is a well-known fact, so you need to help your body beautifully welcome the summer sun now. The sooner you worry about how to get in shape for summer, the faster you will get results.
Keep or draw a calendar with your own hands until June to mark a new day and cross out the past one. This is the only way you will feel how quickly time passes. Make a sign and mark all the remaining days until June 1st. Be sure to hang the sheet in the most visible place. Next to it you can add a photo with a beautiful figure for motivation. You can keep a calendar on your computer or smartphone, but most likely without reminders, you will forget to look at it.
A beautiful body in a swimsuit on the beach attracts the gaze of many. And a summer dress should not burst at the seams, but should easily emphasize the advantages of the figure. Why are we delaying? Go ahead for a beautiful body!
You can find plenty of tips online on how to get your body in shape for summer. However, not all of them work. We tested on ourselves what will still help you build, lose weight, pump up and become fit in a couple of months.
We share with you real methods on how to quickly lose weight and become happier.
Walking and Hiking
Walking is an excellent remedy for the most unathletic or obese people. This is a real gift and salvation! It is walking that allows you to create all the necessary background conditions for minimal endurance and health. If your living conditions allow, walk over rough terrain, do not hesitate to climb hills, walk along long stairs, etc.
It is better to walk daily, wearing comfortable sports shoes, for at least 5-10 thousand steps.
A lot of the nuances of walking are discussed in the article Walking. How to do it right.
Find out about the condition of your body
First you need to find out the current state of the body and contact a medical center. Doctors will measure height, weight, strength, lung capacity, blood pressure and heart rate, determine the body mass index, the ratio of bone and muscle tissue, cellular activity, the amount of water in the body, and examine the heart. After the examination, the doctor will write a conclusion and recommend changing your diet or taking up a sport that is suitable for you.
In Russia, you can get tested for free. To do this, you need to contact a specialized state medical institution called the “Center for Medical Prevention” or something else. A referral can be made by a local GP.
If you know the state of your body and don’t want to go to the doctor, you can skip this step or determine your body mass index yourself: divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.
Values from 18 to 25 will indicate that body weight is normal.
After you have studied your body, specify your goal and name the criteria of beauty that you lack: six-pack abs, a pumped up butt, large biceps, broad shoulders or a narrow waist. Depending on what you want, you will either need to lose weight or tone up.
Training with expanders
Exercises with expanders are a very diverse type of fitness. After all, there are many types of expanders. I personally prefer rubber cords and bands. They provide a wide variety of effects and exercises.
Particular attention is paid to the skier's expander and ring-type expanders (bands of different widths and stiffness closed in a ring).
Resistance bands allow you to load the muscles of the whole body at very unusual angles, significantly increasing endurance and mobility.
The disadvantage of expanders is the relative difficulty in dosing the load. Sometimes it is extremely inconvenient to determine the load level when using a specific expander. This is especially difficult when the training system provides for planned load fluctuations.
I personally consider expanders as an additional useful tool to the main training system.
Reviewing your diet will help you prepare yourself for summer faster
A balanced diet is the key to good health and well-being. No spicy or fatty foods!
There is a goal - to look great for the summer. That means more fruits, vegetables, greens. Fruits contain vitamins, fiber, minerals, macro- and microelements, amino acids.
Vegetables - calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc. What else is useful? Accelerate metabolism, improve digestion.
Dairy products, fish, meat - we eat everything, but in moderation. No need to overeat.
Nuts are rich in plant protein, and this natural protein perfectly complements the diet during physical activity. And you need to move more than in winter.
Water – supplies the skin with moisture, normalizes digestion, strengthens the immune system, and improves the metabolic process.
The main thing in nutrition is not to overeat!
We leave as many protein products as possible (if you are allergic to lactose, then remove dairy products, leaving only lactose-free milk). Fish, meat, chicken are essential foods for muscle growth and quick satiety. It is better to choose oatmeal, wheat, buckwheat, barley, bulgur, spelt, and quinoa from cereals.
Buy smaller plates and choose teaspoons instead of tablespoons. This way you can stretch out the pleasure of eating, and also have time to fill up while eating. You won't have to run for extra sandwiches and sweets for your tea.
After eating, it is better to go for a walk than to sit on the sofa. Walking will help burn extra calories. It is advisable to walk for 45 minutes every day. Moreover, try to walk at a brisk pace so that you feel a light sweat after 10 minutes. This can replace jogging. But it is better to take an intensive walk no earlier than an hour after eating.
Comfortable clothes
Comfortable clothes mean a comfortable workout! Some people are so inspired by the goal that they immediately buy a top and a T-shirt a couple of sizes smaller. If you are one of this number, then keep in mind that when you lose weight, then you will wear them. Now wear your size. Otherwise, you will experience, at a minimum, discomfort due to cutting seams, at a maximum, the goal will be even more distant, and negative emotions will grow like a snowball every time you look in the mirror.
Where to train in the summer?
The equipment of the Gold's Gym sports club allows it to become an excellent place for year-round training, including in the summer. The gyms maintain a comfortable temperature for exercising, and experienced trainers will help you create an optimal summer training program that is suitable for you personally.
In addition to the gym, at the Gold's Gym sports club you can visit the swimming pool, sign up for Spinning (bike training), and also play tennis.
Nordic walking with poles
One of the most enjoyable sports! You can walk almost everywhere, even in the mountains, without any problems. Perfectly strengthens the whole body and trains the heart and blood vessels. Nordic walking is perhaps the ideal form of basic activity for older people and people with problem knees.
You can do Nordic walking daily for 30-60 minutes or more. You can read more about the classes in the article What is Norwegian or Scandinavian walking with poles.
Time to study
One of the most severe consequences of improper exercise is hyperthermia (excessive overheating of the body). It is this condition that people fear and completely refuse physical activity in the summer.
The body will signal about approaching overheating with the following symptoms. A sudden feeling of weakness will appear, the skin will turn pale, and sweating will suddenly stop. The person will experience tachycardia. Sometimes confusion occurs. The skin will feel dry and hot to the touch.
Is it possible to exercise in the heat without causing harm to your health? It is possible if you choose the right time for training. The peak of solar exposure is observed at noon. At this time, doctors do not even recommend going outside. Moreover, you should not play sports.
The following periods are recognized as the optimal time for physical activity:
- until 10 am;
- after 7 pm.
At this time, the air temperature decreases and the risk of harm to the body decreases as much as possible.
